Once I hated him
by FantasyDreamer06
Summary: When Inuyasha dies, will she be able to find him again? Or will fate be unkind to her search?


And to think I hated him.  
  
(Yes, Kady, this is now the official title. If you change it, you will die. If you change the font, You will be tortured. Just try me....)  
  
A Poodle.  
  
He couldn't get something more masculine.  
  
He got a poodle.  
  
A small, annoying, ugly, badly trained, pet store poodle.  
  
She liked dogs, really. She loved the affectionate canines. She just didn't care for poodles. This one was exceptionally ugly, but was cute in a wierd sort of way. She could've overlooked the beast's physical imperfections easily, if it weren't for his bad habits.  
  
Ugh, where to begin. She looked woefully at the destroyed rabbit fur covered horse her aunt had given her. It had been soft to touch, beautiful and glossy to look at, and one of her favorite possessions. Stupid mutt. He would also dig in the garbage, and climb on the table for food when no one was looking. The whole family knew it; they just put up with it. Not to mention when he was in trouble, he tried to bite the person getting him.  
  
But, her little brother was now attached to his dumb beast their mom had gotton him. Fantastic. No chance of getting rid of it now. Darn. His coat wasn't even acceptable by show standards. No, it was apricot and white; poodles are only supposed to be one color. He had a square front, so he ran funny; his eyes seemed off center; not to mention a few other attributes.  
  
The dog had grown on her though. Scruffy was happy to see her every day she came home; jumping all over her like he would never see her again. She got used to it. She couldn't help but notice how cruel her brother could be to the dog; she felt a twinge of sympathy. No one liked the beast very much; but they got used to him. She couldn't help but warm up to Scruffy. As soon as she began to be nice to the dog she had recently scorned, the dog came to her for protection, knowing she would defend him from her brother. He slept in her bed; oddly enough, she slept better with the dog at her side.  
  
Her mom had wanted to get a dog for Souta, and while at a real estate auction, the woman selling the place decided to throw in the family dog. So, here he was. They had had him for a few weeks now, and those weeks happened to be the worst weeks of Kagome's life.  
  
She had come home barely able to stand on her own two feet after this last visit to the past. Weakly pushing open the door, she had ran up the stairs to her room before she broke down again. She had spent a month over in the Sengoku Jidai just crying; now she could cry at home, in her time. The Shikon Jewel had been complete for a while now; She would never see Inuyasha again.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Inuyasha, Don't !!!" Kagome screamed, wriggling to free herself from Naraku's grasp. He held her by the throat; Inuyasha was reverting to a Demon in his rage.  
  
"Don't" She repeated; more desperate. If he turned into a Demon, he'd lose all of his senses and would be easier to kill.  
  
He hadn't heard her. His eyes flooded the red; his pupils dialated, turning to blue. With a battle cry of rage, he'd charged Naraku.  
  
Naraku, Unable to defend himself,in an instant found himself pinned to the ground by the Hanyou. Kagome stood after being released, pulling out her arrows. Taking advatage of Naraku's moment of surprise she pulled out a arrow, grasping her bow tightly and taking aim.  
  
"Naraku, Die!" She pointed an arrow at his head, and fired. It happend so fast, she couldn't remember everything.The next thing she was aware of was Inuyasha laying limp with Naraku's dead arm through his stomach; Sango, Miroku, Shippo, And Kagome staring in open horror. A scream was bounding off of the walls, and Kagome vaguely came to realize it was hers before falling to her knees besides the body.  
  
She was weeping on the Hanyou's chest, and a faint heartbeat against her cheek. His eyes fluttered open; She caught her breath.  
  
Pain and agony, and peace filled his entrancing golden eyes. "Kagome..."  
  
"Don't talk, We need to get you help.." She said, viciousely trying to wipe the tears from her eyes.  
  
"Shh..." He quieted her. "I'm already gonna die. Don't cry; I want to you to know something before I go."  
  
"You won't die! You can't" She cried desperately, crying freely once more.  
  
He opened his mouth for one last thing to say. "I love you." His heartbeat skipped a beat; literally; it was beginning to stop it's steady rythm.  
  
She choked. He said it? "Inuyasha.." she held his Hand. " Hold on, I can't lose you! I need You! I love you too!"  
  
A peaceful smile overtook his features. "Bye...."  
  
"NO! INUYASHA! " her heart wrenched in pain as the heartbeat stopped. Gone. No....  
  
"NOO!!!!!!"  
  
Sango and Miroku stood frozen, even Shippo began to cry.  
  
"Inuyasha.." his small voice trembled. "Why'd you have to die!" Wailing, he flung himself onto Sango, who was closest, and cried. Sango cried with him, burying her face in his hair, crying for the loss of their constant companion.  
  
No one even saw Sesshoumaru appear until he was next to Kagome's weeping form. Drawing Tensaiga, He commanded her gently.  
  
"Move."  
  
Kagome gasped and looked at the demon above her, moving away. Can he bring Inuyasha back to life? She thought wildly.  
  
Sesshoumaru knew what he was about to do would piss her and her friends off, but saving a hanyou is far different than saving a human. They would grieve until they were hoarse at this, but...  
  
With one swing of The mighty Tensaiga, Inuyasha's body dissappeared. Kagome gasped, and Threw herself at Sesshoumaru.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU DO!? " She screamed at him, angry tears falling.  
  
He regarded her with his cool, unfaltering gaze. "He is alive now, yes. Just he is no longer in this time."  
  
She gasped, what did he mean?  
  
He continued. "You see, Tensaiga cannot kill Humans; and it can restore Demons back to life for a short period of time. Demons, However, can be reborn into a different form instead of going to hell, if wielder of the Tensaiga wishes it. Inuyasha, being half and half, will be reborn. I don't know what time or place, but it will most assuredly happen. He will not remember any of you; he will know his body and his name, and memories may come back to him bit by bit, or all at once if you are lucky to have them return. That is assuming that you can find him."  
  
Kagome gaped. So basically he could be in any form, in any time, and would have no memories?  
  
She was going to find him?  
  
Sure buddy. And what have you been smoking?  
  
" I don't even know if he'll exist in my time! I'll never find him!" She began to cry again, tears falling down her dirty face.  
  
"Fate threw you together here, it will probably throw you two together again."  
  
And he dissappeared without another word.  
  
Fabulous.  
  
Holding her head high, She walked to her friends who were waiting, having stopped crying when they discovered Sesshoumaru's presence. They glanced at one another, then slowly began walking away; back to Kaede's hut.  
  
End Flashback  
  
Her heart still cringed at the thought of her friends. They were here, in this time with her now. They had wished for it on the jewel. Kagome had traveled back one more time for a last farwell at the beautiful time era, before coming home for good.  
  
Her friends had adjusted well to modern life, with some help from Sota and her mom. They lived in the Shrine with her, but hadn't talked much. After her final trip to say good-bye, she had come home for good this time. Scruffy had greeted her like always; and had followed her up the stairs to her room. He leaped gracefully onto the bed next to her; nothing unusual. She proceeded to cry her eyes out.  
  
"Dinner!" She heard her mom yell. Giving the dog an affectionate pat on the head, she trudged downstairs, Scruffy at her heels.  
  
Chapter two  
  
Sango and Miroku had surprisingly good table manners, but they couldn't say the same for Shippo. He ate just as noisey as Souta did. Kagome's mind went to Inuyasha; he ate alot like them. Tears again pricked her eyes at the memory. Noodles hanging out of his mouth, looking at her innocently as she gently chided him for being so messy; a muffled "What?" coming around the noodles in his mouth.  
  
Biting back tears, she focused on her plate, ignoring the worried glances of her friends and family.  
  
"May I be excused?" She asked in a small voice.  
  
"Of course dear." Her mom replied.  
  
"I think I'll go too." Sango said, Standing to follow Kagome.  
  
"Ok girls. Don't forget school tomorrow!" She tried to be cheerful, but only got a weak "Yes mom.." out of her normally happy daughter.  
  
School didn't seem as big of a thing anymore. She hardly cared that her grades had improved, didn't care that her social life was in the gutter due to her anti-social ways lately; she just wanted Inuyasha to be alive, and with her.  
  
Sango followed her friend up the stairs. It had been about two months now; And she was worried. They all missed Inuyasha, but she at least was trying to cope with the grief. Kagome was wallowing in it still.  
  
They entered Kagome's room, both seating themselves on the bed. Asking what was wrong would've been stupid when they both knew the problem. Sango spoke first.  
  
"Kagome, you've got to snap out of this; it's not like you at all." Concern laced the demon hunter's words.  
  
Kagome blinked at her friend. Looking down, she whispered: "I can't..." A single tear fell. "I miss him so much..." Once again she began to cry uncontrollably.  
  
Sango wrapped her arms around her distressed friend. "I know..." she whispered "We all do..."  
  
The door creaked open, and they snapped their heads towards the sound in unison. Scruffy peered at them innocently from Kagome's doorway. Chuckling at their own paranoiya, Sango called Scruffy over. He hesitated, looking at Kagome. She smiled gently at the dog. "Come here Scruf, it's okay." Pricking his ears happily, he raced over and launched himself onto the bed. Kagome scratched his belly with a curve of her lips.  
  
Kagome smiled at the retarded littled beast. It felt weird; it really had been a long time since her first real smile. The dog licked her hands happily. After two months of grieving, with her friends and family help, Kagome could finally begin to heal.  
  
Two Months Later  
  
"SANGO! MIROKU! COME ON!" Kagome tapped her foot and glared at her watch. "DO YOU WANT TO BE LATE?!" She screamed. She left out the word "again..." But if those two didn't hurry, they would be.  
  
Sango descended the stairs first, clad in a uniform exactly like Kagome's, pulling a huge pink backpack like Kagome's yellow one over her shoulders. She didn't realize how heavy these things were! She could now fully understand why Inuyasha carried her so often; they were heavy enough with just school books, not to mention all the other stuff Kagome used to carry with her!  
  
She smiled at her friend; she was almost back to normal. You had to know her very, very well to detect the small symptoms of sadness in Kagome. Like when she thought no one was watching, she would slip out to the Sacred Tree where she'd first met Inuyasha. She seemed to talk to the spot where he had once hung; Sango wasn't worried for her friend because of this, rather, it was normal. People often talked to the gravesites of their loved ones.  
  
The Demon hunter smiled at her friend. Seeing her like this made her ecstatic, like she could put up with anything.  
  
"PERVERT!" Slap Well, almost. Some things just never change. "You never learn, Do you?" Sango glared at the monk.  
  
"Only for you, Sango." She snorted at muttered something that sounded like "yeah right..." before marching over to her friend who was smiling at their antics.  
  
"Let's go!" Kagome yelled again, racing out of the door, Sango and Miroku on her heels.  
  
'  
Scruffy peered out from behind the curtains at the retreating figures of the older humans. As soon as they'd dissapeared out of sight, he gave a soft whine, already missing the comfort and kindness of the sweet-smelling weaker female human, Kagome. She was the only one in the house who was nice to him of her own free will. Most of the other humans were affectionate, but theirs was more of a toleration than genuine love.  
  
Kagome welcomed him into her room and bed, was gentle and playful, and talked to him like he was an equal instead of a dog. He loved her belly rubs. She gave the best belly rubs he had ever gotten. And Backscratches! her nails were just long enough to not hurt him but gently scratched all his itchy spots adequetly.  
  
She was his favorite human. The fact that he had the most uncanny instinct and unnatural instinct to protect her at all costs had nothing to do with it either.  
  
Chapter three  
  
Sango had easily slipped into Kagome's friend's clique; they'd accepted her readily. Not many girls were willing to kick the shit out a male that so much as looked at her wrong. They liked her independent attitude. She had the rep of tomboy, and Miroku had the rep of pervert- in- love- with tomboy. The guys liked him too; none of them could put up with as many slaps as he could in a single day.  
  
At first, Kagome's friends had almost pushed her to tears when they asked her about "That violent guy" she had been seeing. Not wanting to spill the truth, she had muttered, "We broke up..." and left it at that. Her friends accepted that answer, and went about trying to fix her up with Hojo. They were also secretly plotting to get Sango and Miroku together, only in this plot they had Kagome's help. She knew they liked each other, they had for a long time. Sango was just too proud to admit it, and Miroku had no clue how to communicate.  
  
In other words, Things were turning normal. Kagome was getting wrapped up in her life again instead of withdrawing. Sango and Miroku still had a love-hate relationship, and Shippo had started calling Kagome "Mom" and her mother "Grandma" and was flirting shamelessly with all the girls in his class that thought he was cute. Miroku was rubbing off on him, Kagome just didnt' know it.  
  
Kagome's mother had began to turn their home into a small farm. They had 5 horses to ride, three of them being Kagome's, but she gave one of them to Sango. 2 of them were Shippo's; He gave one to Miroku. Her mom used the extra horse if she ever wanted to go riding. Kagome had found solace in the great beasts. Sometimes she rode out byherself, and allowed her horse to take off at a flat gallop. This was her release; The wind whipping her hair, the horses great strides jolting her, she lost all sense of who she was, and nothing mattered except for the power and freedom she felt right then. Suddenly If Inuyasha had died, she didn't feel the grief; this was her way of escaping. She didn't care anymore at that moment if she fell off, all she knew was that nothing mattered except her and the horse.  
  
Winter came, and due to the ice and snow they were forbidden to ride. They still had chores to do; Sometimes Scruffy accompanied them, but his paws became extremely cold and would have to be carried back inside. He had become a constant companion to Kagome; not that anyone but her noticed. He would sit on her lap while she did home work, sleep in her bed at night, and follow her around at home.  
  
School was dull as usual, it was the monotony of day to day life that lulled Kagome into an intense state of boredom. Her and Sango had all of their classes together, and most of them with Miroku. He had taken Gym, which had weightlifting included. He was a guy, after all.  
  
Kagome was surprised to find herself enjoying having the little dog around. Even more amazing was that she slept better with the dog's reassuring warmth against some part of her. Sometimes he slept down by her feet, against her thighs, or against her stomach.  
  
It was about the middle of the school year when he decided to sleep with his head on her pillow, his back to her back. She was surprised the first time, but as time wore on she found she preferred him sleeping there than anywhere else.  
  
She'd introduced Sango, Miroku, And Shippo to snowball wars. They learned how to build snowforts, and they teamed up to battle her and Souta. Sometimes it was Kagome, Shippo, and Souta against Sango and Miroku. They could spend hours outside doing this, but the cold always got to them eventually and they would wander back inside.  
  
Yes, things were getting back to normal. Kagome's pain had moved on to become only a dull ache within her breast when she thought about Inuyasha; and she still had nightmares. They were less frequent now, esp. with Scruffy's reassuring prescence nearby. She shouldn't've felt safer with such a wimpy dog around; but it was just reasurring to have another warm body near her.  
  
It was around January now; the bitter cold winds lashed at the house. Ah, what a beautiful day off from school. It was too cold to be outside; the gang was stuck indoors watching t.v., playing games, reading, whatever they could find to do. Miroku automatically suggested a few things he could do with Sango...  
  
"PERVERT!" Slap For some reason she didn't agree with him. Imagine that. Kagome spent the day in her room, studying and reading. Scruffy came in, Playfully squeaking one of his toys. She couldn't resist. Within the next few minutes she was on the floor, wrestling and growling like a dog. Scruffy bit at her gently, fighting back without actually hurting her, while she tried her best not to hurt him at the same time. It was an odd sight; but seemed completely natural. The game ended with Scruffy grumbling happily at a wonderful belly rub.  
  
So the day came and went; nothing special, save for some gropings and movies; and then bedtime came.  
  
Kagome wasn't tired; in fact, she'd needed a sleeping pill. Scruffy curled up next to her, back to back, his head on her pillow. Kagome saw Inuyasha in her mind; the image lulled her to sleep.  
  
The next morning she was aware of one thing; there was an arm on her waist. Oh god. Someone had sneaked into her room and crawled into bed with her! "EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
She scrambled out of bed, clutching her pounding heart and gasping. Sango stormed in yelling "What's wrong?! "  
  
"Someone's in my bed!"  
  
That someone had his hands clamped over sensitive white ears on his head....And by sitting up he revealed a bare chest...Scruffy didnt' wear clothes.....  
  
"INUYASHA????" They gasped in unison. Kagome's heart contracted painfully. Him, here, now? How? When? What was going on?  
  
He opened molten pools of gold to glare at them. "Oi, wench! what's with all the screaming?" Kagome stood dumbstruck at him; it was him! alive!  
  
He continued: "I've only slept in this bed with you for I-don't - know- how long.."  
  
"Scruffy??" Kagome gasped. that was his form???  
  
"Kagome!" Miroku, Shippo, Souta, Kagome's mom, all chose that moment to show up.  
  
"Your the brat who pulls my tail!" He glared at Souta; Souta blanched. "Inuyasha was my dog? My Hero was a dog?"  
  
"I ain't a dog no more kid! I've got half a brain to teach you a lesson for all the times you did somethin' mean to me! Teach you to be cruel to a poor, helpless dog!" He lunged a Souta; Kagome did the only thing she could think of; His collar had turned into Prayer beads...  
  
"SIT!" He plummeted to the floor, taking Kagome's blankets with him.  
  
He pried himself off the floor. Damn..."Wench, how the hell did you do that??" Obviously, the hanyou body came with the attitude. And worse, he didn't remember anything about the fuedal era.  
  
For the first time Kagome smiled. A true, big smile. It was the same old Inuyasha that she remembered; only now he didn't remember the fuedal Era, didn't remember loving her.... her smile slipped. She would have to regain his trust all over again. Unless his memories came back..........  
  
Inuyasha stood up. The blankets tumbling to the floor. Oh my....  
  
"AH!" Sango and Kagome flushed red hot and darted towards the door. His physique, no matter how appealling, was still stark naked at the moment, save for the prayer beads.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He growled, watching Sango and Kagome retreat.  
  
"Kagome..." Her mom spoke up. "Did he just say he's slept in this bed with you? If that's true, young lady, Dare I ask where you stashed his clothing?"  
  
Kagome's face invented a few shades of red before snapping at her mom: "HE USED TO BE SCRUFFY! YOU KNOW, THE ROTTON LITTLE POODLE! YOU PEOPLE ARE SUCH PERVERTS! GAH!" Blushing like mad, she ran downstairs, Sango on her heels.  
  
Inuyasha's ears twitched. Rotton?? Grr....Well, he'd called her a wench, and she was the one who was really nice to him. Come to think of it, he's still been in there when she'd had to get dressed in the mornings. As a dog, he hadn't thought twice about it. Now that he was in a human form, he was starting to rethink these things....  
  
"Miroku, help Inuyasha find some clothes, will you?" Kagome's Mom asked, careful to not look at Inuyasha's nude form. With as much dignity as one can muster when fleeing from a room like the devil himself is on your tail, Kagome's mom did just that.  
  
Miroku sighed and Shippo walked silently out of the room for once. He felt he had nothing to say. His second family was once more complete, so now he could go weep for joy.  
  
Miroku shook his head and looked at his old friend. Not that he would remember their friendship. Quirking an eybrow, he looked at the hanyou that was proudly standing in front of him defiantly. He noticed something that couldn't very well be missed...  
  
"Uh, Inyasha?" The Hanyou glared and grunted. Miroku continued. "Wasn't Scruffy nuetered?"  
  
Oh Inuyasha lost it. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKIN'??? AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M FULLY INTACT, THANKYOUVERYMUCH! PERVERT!" Somehow Inuyasha had a strange feeling of Deja' Vu as the words left his mouth. The blood rushed to his face at the monks' comment. Wait, how did he know he was a monk?  
  
"Are you a monk?" He asked suddenly, curious as to the new revelation  
  
Miroku blinked. One minute he's screaming about him noticing something that couldn't be helped, next he's asking a question from completely out of the blue?  
  
"Yeah..." He said slowly, wondering how the hell that question was in any way relevent to the Hanyou.  
  
"How did I know that?" Inuyasha asked, genuinely curious.  
  
Now he understood! He was already regaining some of the memories from the fuedal era! Kagome will be ecstatic!  
  
"Are you gonna stand there all day like a moron or answer my question????" Asked the thouroughly annoyed Inuyasha.  
  
"Let's get you dressed first, then we'll have the girls come back to help answer all of your questions."  
  
"What the hell do they have to do with anything???" He snapped, though he wasn't used to being away from the 'Kagome' girl for so long... He couldn't explain why he needed to be so close to her......  
  
"Everything." Miroku answered wisely. "Now about those clothes..."  
  
Inuyasha snorted. "Come on, hurry it up! I wanna know how the hell I became Human!"  
  
"Half- Human, Inuyasha. Half Demon."  
  
Inuyasha gave him a flat look. "I know idiot!"  
  
"Then why'd you say human?"  
  
"Cuz that's what I was thinking!"  
  
Miroku rolled his eyes. "You're certainly not going to be able to wear Lady Kagome's clothing, so I suggest we go down the hall to my room."  
  
Inuyasha looked at him warily. "You're not gay, are you?"  
  
Miroku sputtered. "How in the name of Buddha did you come up with that??"  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Nevermind."  
  
Miroku glowered for a few moments before grabbing a nearby blanket. "Here, wrap this around yourself until we get there."  
  
One clawed hand took it, and in a quick, fluid motion he was fully covered.  
  
"Now then, Let's go." Miroku led the way out of the door, Inuyasha close behind.  
  
He noted Miroku's room was in deep shades of blue and black, not a drop of red anywhere. As a Dog, Inuyasha hadn't been able to see colors very well; mostly gray, but red was one color that, although dull, he could at least tell what it was. He was also remembering something mint green. Wait, wasn't that the color on Kagome's uniform?  
  
Miroku opened his closet. "Pick one," He said, gesturing to the shirts that hung there. "and see how they fit." He wandered over to the dresser in the room while Inuyasha stalked to the closet, looking for a shirt he thought acceptable.  
  
Miroku finished rummaging around, holding up a pair of black boxers with little pink hearts on them.  
  
Inuyasha gave him a look. "Are you sure you're not gay?"  
  
"Positive" Miroku stated, thrusting them at him. "Put them on and I'll look for some jeans, Let me know when you find a shirt."  
  
Grumbling, Inuyasha pulled on the boxers and resumed his search through the closet. The guy had no sense at all! All of the shirts were of some shade of green or purple! Come on! Finally one of the shirts caught his eye. It was red, and in the very back. A simple button up shirt made of silk, sexy yet perfectly acceptable. Slipping into the shirt, he was pleased to see that it fit, maybe a little snug, but it fit.  
  
Miroku turned around, a pair of baggy black pants in his hands. He raised an eyebrow. "That shirt was way too big for me, you must have broader shoulders than I do.." Then he muttered something along the lines of "Should've known you'd pick red..." Shaking his head, he handed the pants to inuyasha. "If you have narrower hips than I do, then you have the perfect male body." He commented dryly, turning around while Inuyasha pulled on the pants.  
  
They almost fell off of his hips, showing that he indeed did have a smaller waist than Miroku, and the red shirt hugging his shoulders beautifully, he easily was the most attractive modern day male. The clothes accented his well muscled body, where his old Fire Rat Haori had kinda hid it a little.  
  
"Now we need to go talk to the girls." At Inuyasha's look, he held up a hand. "They know more than I do, they were just as important to the quest as you and I were. Not too mention Shippo..."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"You'll see."  
  
"Ok." He said slowly. Why did every one of those names sound strangly and freakishly familiar? He could easily recall his life as a dog, but how could anyone know about this body when he barely knew it himself? Why did he know his name and what he was but not who these people were who obviously knew him? What the HELL was goin on?????  
  
"Let's go." Miroku pulled open the door, leading the way out into the hallway, a grumbling and confused hanyou following.  
  
Downstairs  
  
"He's back..." A stunned Kagome was smiling girlishly, knowing her love was back. They could restart their lives, only this time without Naraku or Kikyou. They could be Happy.  
  
Her thoughts wandered to all the time she had spent with Scruffy. He'd slept with her, wrestled with her, been there in the mornings when she got up for school...when she had to get dressed......blushing, she was grateful for the voice that broke through her thoughts.  
  
"Wench, the monk said You'd tell me what's goin' on, so spill it bitch!" Then again, maybe not. She looked at him, and the same fluttering of her heart leaped alive at the sight of him. She didn't care that he was back to the way he was before he had loved her. He was back. Period. She could always rebuild the relationship; she could not rebuild him. Not to mention he looked really good in that outfit...  
  
Before her mind registered what she was doing, she had thrown her arms around the hanyou and was weeping into the red shirt. "I thought I'd lost you forever..." She continued to sob, Inuyasha wondering why this felt so familar and natural to be near her; wondering why he had the insane urge to make her stop crying, and he had an inexplicable desire to never see her hurt.  
  
And why the hell did her scent make him feel calm and happy? Sure, as a dog he'd liked her smell, it wasn't strong or overpowering, and smelled like the outdoors. But it never made him feel happy and relaxed...  
  
"Oi, wench, what the hell is wrong with you???" Kagome leapt away as if he'd burned her. She blushed at her behavior; she was just so happy, there was no way on this earth she could've stopped herself from holding him.  
  
Inuyasha was suddenly sorry he'd said anything to make her pull away; in a way, her warmth and sent had been soothing, enticing. Even if it was mingled with tears. He snapped back to reality, wondering why he seemed to know these people from somewhere else. Sure, as a dog he'd begged them for scraps, but he never knew their names. Now, their names flooded into his memory, and some twinge of emotion touched him as he thought of Kagome. He pushed it aside to think about later. Right now he needed answers.  
  
Kagome, Sango, Shippo, and Miroku all sat on the couch facing him. He sat in the chair across from them, looking at the familiar faces. Suddenly Shippo Burst into tears and launched himself at Inuyasha.  
  
"I don't care how mean you were to me!!!! I missed you, you jerk!" Shippo wailed. Tears welled again in Kagome's eyes, she had never known Shippo felt so strongly towards Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha's thoughts were racing. ' What the Hell?? How do all these people recognize me? Why do they all seem to have met me before, why are they so happy to see me?? I was here all along!!!!! And, more Importantly, why do I feel like I've known them before?! Especially Kagome??'  
  
The kitsune sniffled and curled up in Inuyasha's lap, still needing reassurance that he really was back. Everyone was shocked Inuyasha let him stay there, but Inuyasha just scowled and let the little boy be. It was as if he understood the great wave of emotions his appearance seemed to have stirred, but now he wanted answers.  
  
"Now can you all Tell me what the hell is going on!!"  
  
Kagome smiled warmly at him. "It's a long story, but since you met me first, I'll start, then shippo, then Miroku and Sango, cuz that's the order you met us in."  
  
"Feh, Whatever. Just get on with it."  
  
She smiled again. He was right back to normal. Taking a deep breath, she began her story.  
  
She told him how she was dragged through the well, how she released him even though the villagers told her not to, how she shattered the jewel. She told him how he got pinned to the tree, listenening to his growl of anger at Naraku as he was caught up in the story. She got up to Shippo's part, when he took over.  
  
He began with stealing the jewel shard, Inuyasha hitting him on the head for it, how they had to rescue Kagome and kill the thunder brothers to get her and the jewel back. He made it to the point where they encountered Miroku for the first time, and Kagome and Shippo laughed at the ordeal, chuckling at Inuyasha's possessiveness while all the while denying that she was anything more than a shard detector, laughing at Miroku's gropings of Kagome and his threats to the monks well being.  
  
Miroku laughed along, taking the story from there. He told them of his history and the Wind Tunnel, of Naraku's poisen insects, and other miscellaneous events from there, Such as Kikyou becoming a soul stealer and Inuyasha hurting Kagome when he went with Kikyou into the woods and Kagome found them. Up until they met "His" Sango.  
  
Sango glared at him, but continued the story. How Naraku manipulated her little brother, How she thought Inuyasha was responsible for the demolishing of the village and attacked them, and finally coming to her senses joined with Inuyasha and her team. Tears came to her eyes as she described the various battles with her little brother, knowing she had to kill him but never being able to actually do it. She didn't leave out Totousi and Inuyasha becoming a full demon, either.  
  
She choked, and Kagome stroked her back reasurringly. Kagome took it from there. She hadn't really wanted to bring up Kikyou, but Kikyou had long since been laid to rest. She made it up to the final battle with Naraku. Tears came to her eyes, and she couldn't bring herself to tell Inuyasha what his final words to her had been.  
  
Miroku and Sango knew, and thought it was a pity he hadn't told her sooner. They didn't mention it of course, and Inuyasha was getting a glazed look to his eyes.  
  
Kagome opened her mouth to snap him out of it, but Miroku stopped her. "He's remembering, look closely at his eyes."  
  
Kagome blinked but did as she was told. She could literally see flashes of memory going through his eyes, specific scenes reflected in his beautiful golden orbs. She took a sharp breath as her smiling face was reflected there and hovered longer than the others, but soon zipped by as well. She saw Naraku, Kagura, Koga, all in Inuyasha's eyes. She smiled at the recollection of memories. They had been through so much together.  
  
She giggled at the scowl that lit his features when Koga and her went through his mind.  
  
Inuyasha remembered his own death. Kagome's weeping face, and his final words. They struck a chord in his once canine heart, and he remembered everything. How he felt about her, how close they had become, why he had loved her.  
  
Suddenly he snapped back to attention, His complete past lodged into his memory, and he looked at his friends.  
  
Kagome had refused to leave him, refused to change him. She had been by his side unconditionally through it all. Even when he had swore to protect Kikyou, she had still returned, unable to leave his side. Shippo was like a son, Miroku and Sango like annoying relatives.  
  
They were a family. Each brought together by the loss of something important in their lives; they were more tightly knit than any family he had ever had. And they were still here.  
  
By now he understood the feelings of happiness they had when they saw him. Even the brat was ecstatic and was currently looking up at him hopefully.  
  
He sighed. "Oi, wench, can I get some ramen?"  
  
Kagome and the others laughed; he was back! their Inuyasha! He was back!  
  
Kagome happily nodded at him and went into the kitchen, leaving the smiling group behind.  
  
Inuyasha suddenly grew serious and he looked at Sango and Miroku. "Kikyou was laid to rest, right?"  
  
Still smiling, they nodded. She had passed on when Inuyasha had "Died." Inuyasha relaxed and smiled. He had hidden motives of course. He remembered the one thing he had wanted more than anything; wanted more than life itself. He wanted to take Kagome as his mate. He couldn't do so while Kikyou was alive, now there was nothin' stoppin him. Miroku had Sango; He had Kagome. And Shippo could stay; they could be the family he had not had.  
  
He relaxed into his seat, the kitsune still on his lap. Kagome came back with the ramen, smiling and handing it to him; gently chiding him for being so messy.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
It didn't take long for things to revert to normal. Inuyasha and Kagome had their usual arguments, Shippo yelling at Inuyasha, Miroku groping Sango; Yep, all was well.  
  
Kagome was slightly surprised to find out that Inuyasha knew how to read, write, and do math. He had been in the same room as her when she did her homework, after all. He attended her school. The moment some guy made fun of his ears, the girls all stepped in to say how cute the ears were. This left Kagome smiling and Inuyasha blushing angrily; they'd ruined the tough guy act he was putting on. He mainly hung out with Miroku, and they learned to fear Inuyasha however, seeing the hanyou leave a good sized dent in his locker once, which Kagome yelled at him for.  
  
Inuyasha had all the same classes as Miroku, and the duo became quite notorious for practical jokes, bad boy antics, shameless flirting, backtalking, ect. No one but Kagome had the guts to stand up to Inuyasha the way she did. She was unafraid to get right in his face and scream until she was blue. She would 'sit' him too, if the occasion called for it.  
  
Where Inuyasha would beat the daylights out of anyone else, he never once raised a hand to Kagome, even defending her once from a guy that was messing with her. She yelled at him and told him to leave him alone, but the moment Kagome left, he had beat the living crap out of the guy that dared mess with that girl.  
  
The students were amused by Kagome and Inuyasha. They obviously liked each other, yet protested that they did. Her friends had figured out this was the violent jealous guy she always talked about; so, deciding they liked him after all, ( He would be able to protect Kagome very well) they went about trying to hook her up with him. They really needed to get boyfriends!  
  
In school, they were seen as exact opposites, Kagome being the good girl, Inuyasha the bad boy every girl wanted but couldn't have. People thought they would offset each other perfectly, and most of the females that didn't want him were determined to get them together.Of course, Kagome and Inuyasha would never know that.  
  
Kagome didn't mind though; for the most part Inuyasha and herself just ignored them. So everything was normal for at least two more months.  
  
Thats when everything went haywire. Well, not really, but still....  
  
Flashback  
  
"Kagome?" A nervous Inuyasha asked, climbing onto her windowsill.  
  
"Yes?" she said, gesturing him inside. In one fluid Movement he was inside, standing nervously in her room.  
  
"I have somethin to ask you...."  
  
"Yes??" She pushed.  
  
"Uh, will you, uh, uum...." He shuffled nervously.  
  
"Uh huh...."  
  
"Kagomewillyoubemymateandwife?" he said in one breath.  
  
"Slower, please?"  
  
Blushing savagely, he gave a low growl. No one ever told him it would be this hard just to ask her! sheesh....he could never remember a time when he was more afraid!  
  
Kagome smiled, watching him squirm under her gaze. Oh she knew what he'd just asked, but she was determined to keep her cool and torture him to the last minute... He'd been awful rude to her this week....  
  
She would not jump onto him for joy, she wouldn't jump inuyasha, not jump inuyasha.....  
  
Taking a deep breath, he asked again, cheeks flaming. He refused to look at her in the eyes, his gaze darting around the room. He had never been so scared of anything in his life as he was of her answer. Well, maybe that time Sesshoumarou tried to kill her.... Finally he got up the guts to look at her face.  
  
She was smiling, next thing he knew she had lunged at him, her slender arms wrapping around him in a bone-crushing hug. "Yes..." she whispered, as she felt his tenseness leave and his strong arms wrapped around her. He ran one hand through her hair, feeling it's softness against his fingertips. Kagome snuggled into his chest and they just sat there, Neither moving nor wanting to break the spell that had unwittingly been cast.  
  
End Flashback  
  
Of course, Nothing at school changed, since they weren't mated. Everything was perfectly normal, and her friends still tried to get them together at every possible moment. They still fought and argued, Miroku still groped Sango, yes, everything was normal.  
  
They had mated later on, before the wedding, Inuyasha insisting it was more important to be mated than to be married. Kagome was pretty sure he was just yancy, but she would be the last to complain about his amorous nature.  
  
After the mating, things really did change. Inuyasha and Kagome hardly fought anymore, and her friends stopped trying to get them together, simply because Inu had started calling her his, and Kagome had said nothing to discourage him. They had also held hands, hugged, and when they thought no one was looking, sneaked little kisses in between classes.  
  
Of course, they only thought no one was looking, cuz the yearbook came out...  
  
"SANGO!!!!!" Kagome had screamed, chasing her friend down. Sango hadn't walked right for weeks. Miroku had offered to carry her around...  
  
"PERVERT!!" Slap Yep, things were normal.  
  
When they argued, people loved to watch, simply because it was easy to see that there was no real heat to the arguments anymore. Inuyasha would lock his arms around her, she would rest her head on his chest. Of course they would start arguing, but the argument would go with Kagome never leaving the haven of Inuyasha's arms and she would play with the tendrils of hair by his face, while screaming at him, while he yelled back.  
  
They were an amusing couple, and the only time they had even come close to being divided was after one huge argument and one sleezy bitch shoving against him and kissing him savagely, but Kagome came around the corner as he was wiping his mouth and spitting onto the ground, yelling obscenities at the girl. The girl was tearing up, and sitting on the ground from where Inuyasha had shoved her roughly off him.  
  
Whenever Kagome looked like she even was remotely approaching him, he made a beeline for her. If she began to raise her face to his, he would kiss her with a tender affection, instead of a hungry need. He saved that for at home....  
  
Kagome still smiled at the memory. Kagome reached up and touched the top of her right breast. There, on her perfect, pale skin, was a small dog silhoutte. Inuyasha's mark. She was the only woman she knew that could say that she had a permanent demon mark on her. It was His mark, The mark that by demon law made her his mate. He never could keep his hands off her after the official mating ceremony they had gone through. They had officially been married after they graduated high school, and they had a double wedding with Sango and Miroku, Shippo and Souta had been the ring bearers.  
  
Kagome and Sango had somehow managed to find two small houses in the country, to protect Inuyasha's delicate hearing. Two beautiful, small, but very cozy houses in the middle of nowhere, away from any big cities.  
  
Shippo was down to calling her and Inuyasha Mom and Dad. He was now eagerly awaiting the birth of a very special addition to the family.  
  
Both her and Sango were pregnant, and Inuyasha and Kagome referred to their upcoming youngsters as 'Pups'. Sango never could figure out why. --  
  
Inuyasha had become incredibly gentle with her. and she wasn't sure if she was flattered or offended by this behavior. He seemed determined to pamper her at every possible moment with loving words and gentle carresses. He even made a stab at breakfast once, but that had ended with the kitchen in shambles and a flour covered and frustrated hanyou. How he managed that, Kagome would never know...  
  
Other than the usual spats they had always had, They were happy. Happy enough to put up with the nearly immortal Sesshoumaru paying them a visit once..... we won't go there.  
  
Inuyasha and Miroku worked together; go figure. They had both managed to snag jobs at the FBI as undercover agents. Inuyasha's toughness and bad boy appeal made him perfect for the job, and Miroku could look dark and deadly if he had a big enough gun. (Of course, Inuyasha's bad boy look dropped when he begged for belly rubs...)  
  
Things were perfect. Kagome sighed and sat back, feeling the baby in her stomach give the tiniest squirm. His first pup...will it be a boy or a girl.??? Life went on.  
  
And to think, she had once hated that retarded little poodle. Although she couldn't help but wonder how Inuyasha came back intact when Scruffy had been nuetered....  
  
God must really like them.  
  
The end.  
  
So, what did you think? think i should do a sequel with their kids? I think i should, but if i don't get enough popular votes i won't....R & R pleeze! ttfn  
  
-crystal  
  
A.K..A shorty40  
  
P.S.  
  
If you have any plot ideas for their children, please let me know. I would really like to do a sequel, but i have no clue where to begin, how the story would go, ect. If you have any ideas, feel free to e-mail me them at shortycrystal4006yahoo.com  
  
Thank you so very much! 


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